1. Welfare Support House Opened for Social Workers

[NEWS SCRIPT]
The lives of social workers havebeen easy because they’ve had to work on relatively scant incomebenefits. But they now have their own mutual-aid association to turn to for support.

[REPORT]
The opening of the Gyeonggi Province Social Workers Mutual-aid Association brightened the outlook for the welfare standards of social workers.

The Gyeonggi Province Social Workers Mutual-aid Association went into full operation after an inauguration ceremony that was attended300 social welfare professionals including the heads of social welfare organizationssocial workers.

With funding of KRW 3 billionGyeonggi Province, the Gyeonggi Province Social Workers Mutual-aid Association was established for the purpose of improving the welfare of social workersproviding them with supportive services.

There are an estimated 100,000 social welfare professionals working in Gyeonggi Province. All of them are eligible for membership in the Association.

Gyeonggi Province had noted that there were limitations inevitably facedsocial workers in providing services because the treatment they received couldjustify their heavy workloads. In order to help stabilize the livelihood of social workersboost their morale, Gyeonggi Province has been working to set up a mutual-aid association for social workers.

One of the first tasks of the Gyeonggi Province Social Workers Mutual-aid Associationto organize a management tem that will oversee the development of service productsthe establishment of statutory rules.
This Associationexpected to play an important role in improvingonly quality of life for social workers but also the quality of the services they provide to provincial residents.

2. New Stars in 2010 Korea Match Cup – World Match Racing Tour

[NEWS SCRIPT]
International sailing teams competed off of Jeongok Port in the preliminary to qualify for the 2010 Korea Match Cup of the World Match Racing Tour, whichone month away. Among the qualifying teams, there were newcomers who proved to be strong contenders with the potential to make their mark in the main competition.

[REPORT]
The qualifying competition for the 2010 Korea Match Cup of the World Match Racing Tour was held for 4 daysMay 6th off of Jeongok Port in Gyeonggi Province.

Among the 12 teams4 countries that participated in this preliminary competition, the New Zealand team ledPhil Robertson crossed the finish line first to qualify for the Korea Match Cup, which willon June 9th.
Surprising everyonesecuring 1st place in his very first appearance in the competition, Robertsonset to do even better in the main eventtrying to avoid mistakes made during the preliminary match.

Thisalso the first time for the Busan Team, leadskipper Park Geon-woo. to take part in this competition, but they achieved a brilliant featwinning a place to represent Korea in the main event.

The World Match Racing Tourone of three international sailing championships officially recognizedthe International Sailing Federation. The other two are the Americas Cupthe Volvo Ocean Race. The Korea Match Cupone of the stages of the World Match Racing Tour.
The 2010 World Match Racing Tour has so far revealed very talented new faces who are expected to be strong contenders against the established favorites.

3.Cargo Traffic through Pyeongtaek Port Continues to Grow

[NEWS SCRIPT]
Cargo traffic through Pyeongtaek Port grew steadily even last year when economic conditions were tight. It continues to be a very busy port that leads international trade on the west coast.

[REPORT]
Pyeongtaek Portemerging as a major port of international trade on the west coast. Statistics show that cargo traffic at this port has increased significantly compared to last year.

According to the Pyeongtaek Port Corporation, the total container traffic through the port in April was 41,827 TEU, which9,307 TEU more than the same period last year.
The traffic figure for April was a record high in the port’s operation history,the volumestill rising. This month’s traffic so far, for instance,21% higher than the previous month.

International cargo, including transshipments,increasing rapidly as the exchange rate of the Korean Won against the US Dollar stabilizesthe object economy revives. The Pyeongtaek Port Corporation therefore speculates that they will have handled much more than the projected annual cargo amounttheof this year.
In order to make the most of the opportunity, the Pyeongtaek Port Corporation has engaged in aggressive port marketing to secure cargoshippersship owners. They anticipate growing into the largest cargo handler in Northeast Asia.

4. Training of the World’s Best Safety Guards

[NEWS SCRIPT]
Through intensive courses, the trainees at the Gyeonggi Province Fire Service Academy are reborn as skilled firefighters capable of guarding provincial residentshazards. We visited these people, who are determined to become the world’s best safety guards.

[REPORT]
The trainees, each holding a rope, descend along the high wall of a building to rescue a fallen person. Working in perfect unity, they secure the injured firmly to a ropecarefully extract the person.
They then deftly carry the injured through a darknarrow passage as directedthe instructor.

The firefighting trainees work 8 hours a day for 8 weeks in realistic training courses including emergency treatment, life-saving rescuefirefighting.

In 2008, 9 firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty. The number ped to 6 last year, indicating that firefighters are now better able to keep themselves safe as the result of the training at the Fire Service Academy.

Since the Fire Service Academy opened in 1997, a total of 202,389 firefighters have passed through its doors, completing the training courses.
Thanks to their spirit of self-sacrificedevotion, we can feel safe.

5.Free Vaccines for Children up to Age 12

[NEWS SCRIPT]
Children up to 12 years of age must be vaccinated in time in order to protect themvarious diseases. As Gyeonggi Province decided to subsidize the full cost of pediatric vaccination,children will now be able to receive vaccinations at any local hospital free of charge.

[REPORT]
From November,children up to the age 12 can receive free vaccinations at any public health center or any local hospital including1st level clinics in Gyeonggi Province.

At present, one has to pay 70% of the vaccination cost given at a private clinic, although itfree at public health centers.

The free vaccination program supportedGyeonggi Provincethe first of its kind among large-unit local governments in Korea. A total of KRW 3.8 billion will be spent on free pediatric vaccinations, which will benefit 1,022,453 children.

This free vaccination programpart of the provincial government’s countermeasures against the low fertility trend. Itexpected to help increase the survival rate of childrenreduce the cost of childcare for provincial residents.

6. 7,000 Job Searchers Found Jobs through Gyeonggi Employment Center!

[NEWS SCRIPT]
The Gyeonggi Employment Center marked its 100th day of operation. Providing one-stop services that rangeconsultation to placement for employment, the center has so far realized remarkable achievements, successfully finding jobs for nearly 7,000 job searchers.

[REPORT]
Since its opening on February 1st, the Gyeonggi Employment Center has been providing comprehensive job placement services to provincial job applicants.

Among those who found the jobs, 64% were between the ages of 4060, 17.5% were in their 30s,16.7% were 29 or younger.

There are interview rooms specially provided in the Gyeonggi Employment Center for meetings between possible employersjob applicants.

The center also held an Employment Exhibition to maximize employment opportunities for job applicants.

Gyeonggi Province plans to develop a smart phone application in May to provide job searchers with an environment in which they can send their applications online.

The Gyeonggi Employment Center, with its ever-growing company databasehuman resource pool, serves as a lighthouse for job searchers in times of employment crisis.

7. ‘Gyeonggi Province Company SOS Net’, a Benchmarking Model in Korea

[NEWS SCRIPT]
The first integrated online service tem in Korea for companies facing issues, the Gyeonggi Company SOS Net, which opened in January,now expanding its services nationwide. Gyeonggi Province has been working on the nationwide propagation of the Company SOS Net tem, entering into cooperation agreements with other local governments for the introduction of the tem in their jurisdictions.

[REPORT]
After the standardization procedures, the Company SOS Net will be made available to citiescounties, allowing them to manage the resolution of company issuesenabling companies to check for themselves the status of issue processing online.

When the Company SOS Net was edthe Ministry of Public AdministrationSecurity as a “Good Information System,’ many local governments expressed their intention to introduce the tem in their local districts.”

Gyeonggi Province identified 23,756 issue cases in 12,759 companies through the Company SOS Net,successfully addressedissues for a resolution rate of 100%.

The Company SOS Net of Gyeonggi Provincefavorably notedcompanies since it provides them with support in resolving issues. Itviewedmany other local governments as a model tem that can a better environment in which companies can do business.